Hat-crown-adjusting device



March 9 1926. 1,576,350

G. w. MURPHY HAT CROWN ADJUSTING DEVICE Filed Agust 4, 1925 17 Z, Z 14 13 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

NATIONAL HARVEST HAT COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HAT-cnowN-ADJUSTING DEVICE.

Application inea August 4, 1925. serial italians.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Hat- Crown-Adjusting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

rl`his invention relates to aL hat crown adjusting device for increasing or decreasing the crown, at. its base, in a manner as desired by' thewearer of the hat, and it is designed primarily for use in connection with harvest hats, but it is to be understood that a crown adjusting device, in accordance with this invention, can be employed in connection with any style hat for which it is found applicable, and the invention has for its object to provide, `in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an adjusting device including an adjustable band encircling the base of the crown of thev hat and slidably connected therewith by a `plurality of coupling members carriedby the hat brim and providing means for adjusting the base of the crown in a manner satisfactory tothe wearer of the hat. l

In most harvest hats there is considerable shrinkage and expansion vdue to climatic conditions and due also to whether or not the wearer ofthe hat is perspiring. This causes the 'ordinary hat to shrinkand eX- pand, and it frequently occurs that on hot sultry days a farmer would prefer to have a hat with loose fitting crown, whereas on account of the size of the hat and its light nature ona windy day a loose iitting hat would be readily blown off the wearers head, and to providek for the taking up or expanding of the base of the crown of the hat as best suits the wearer', is the primary object of this invention, and which is attained by providing an adjusting device of the bandlike type positioned exteriorly of the crown and connected to the brim of the hat in a manner as hereinafter referred to.

A crown adjusting device, in accordance with this invention, as affecting a dealer, provides whereby a dealer doesnot have to carry the same number of sizes in stock as he would have to doin case of hats not provided with the adjusting device in accordance with this invention, as the device can vary the size of the base of the crown to form three to four different hat sizes, namely,

67/8 to 71,41: or vice versa.V i

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, ahat crown adjusting device, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, thoroughly eflicient in its use, conveniently adjusted, enhancing the appearance of the crown, providing the'hat band, and-inexpensive to manufacture.

TWith the foregoing and 4other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, `vas hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinis shown an embodiment of the inventioinvbut it is to be understood that changes,fvariations and modications can be resorted to which come within theV scope of the claims hereunto appended.

v'In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views `liigure l is a perspective view of a harvest l hat, showing the adaptation with the crown and brim thereof of an adjusting device, in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 isa sectional plan of the crown. lFigure 3 isa section on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an. elevation ofthe buckle forming an element ,of the device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 denotes the brim, 2 the crown, and .3 the base portion of the crown of a hat.

The adjusting device, in accordance with this invention, comprises a plurality of coupling members, as shown three in number, but this number can be increased or diminished. Preferably three coupling membersare employed and eachVv of which is referred to generally by the reference characters 4, 5 and 6. Each of the coupling members is formed from a strip of flexible material 7, bent upon itself to provide a loop 8. One

end of the strip 7voverlaps the other end, as

at 9, and the said overlapping ends are secured together by a'row of stitching 10, which also secures the lower end of the coupling member to the upper face of the brim l at the inner portion thereof. Each coupling member extends upwardly and is positioned against the outer face of the base portion 3 of the crown 2. The coupling mem- A positioned at the vertical median of therear of the crown 2. Each of the coupling members, shown in Figure 3, 1s of curved contour so that it will abut againstthe base 3 of the crown, as well as the upper face of the brim at the inner portion thereof.

The adjusting device further includes a hat band in the form ,of an adjustable strap 11 of flexible material which surrounds the base 3 of the crown 2 and is slidably connected in position through the medium of the coupling members; The strap 11 eX- tends through the loops 8 .and when positioned with respect to the basev of the crown provides the band forthe hat.

The strap 11 isbentuponitself to providel a pair of oppositely extendingk terminal portions 12, 13, which provide in connection with a buckle, to be present-ly referred to, a bowlike effect to one sid-e of the crown when the strap 11 is mounted in a positionto form the hat band. y Y A The buckle, which is referred to generally by the reference character 14, comprises a frame formed ofy a. top and bottom bar 15, 16, a front end bar 17, a rear end bar 18, an apertured extension. 19,.projectingrearT wardly Vfrom the bar 18, and a pair of intermediate bars 21, 22, which are offset outwardly with respect to the bars 17, 18.' The bars 17 and 18 are spaced: from. eachother and further positioned betweenthe, transverse center and the ends of the frame, thereby providing openings 22,28 and 24.

rthe terminalportion 12 of the `strap 11 entends through the opening 22, over the outer face of the bar through the opening 23 and under the bar 17, as well as projecting laterally therefrom. See Figure 2. The end terminal portion 13 of the strap 11 extends'` outfthrough the opening 22 around` the outer face of the bar 21, then inwardly through ythe: opening und under the Vbar 18, 'as well as projectue' llaterallf,r therefrom. See Figure 2.

By increasing or diminishing the length of either one `or both of the end portions 12 and 18, the base of the crown of the hat can be respectively taken up or expanded. As the strap 11 is slidably mounted in the coupling members it can, when it is in the position shown .in Figure 2,1be bodily .adjustable The strap 11 is not directly secured to the crown 2 but is indirectly slidably connected therewith through the medium of the coupling members.

It is thought that the many advantages of a hat crown adjusting device, in accordance with this invention, can be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated 20, then inwardly and described, yetrit is to be understood that changes in the details yof construction and arranged against the outer periphery of the base of the crown, said members positioned at the front, rear and one 'side-of the crown, a slidable band in the form of an adjustable strap" extending through all of said coupling members, positioned against part-s of the sides, front and rea-r ofthe outer periphery of ,the base of the crown and free of direct connection therewith throughout, and aslide buckle bearingr against a. part of the outer periphery ofthe base of the crown and'slidably engaging with and.. having portions offlits outer. face permanently overlapped by the freev end ter'- minal portions of the strap foradjustably connecting the endsrof: the .latter together to' vary the length vof that portion4 of the stap between the endsof-the buckle to vary the size of. the base of the crown and further to bind 'said coupling *membersv and strap against the outer periphery of thebase of the crown.r

2. The combination withthe crown and brim of a hat, of an upstanding, looped, narrow coupling' member positioned at 'the front, at the rear and'at one side of the base of the crown, means for securingthe lower end of each of said coupling members solely tothe upper face vof said brim' in proximity to said crown, a vslidable band in the form of. an adjustable strap positioned aga-inst parts of theouter periphery of the front, back and sides of land free of direct f' connection lthroughout withthe base of the crownvan'd extending through all of said members, and a slide'buckle bearing against a. part of the outer periphery'of one side of the base of said. crown and slidably engaging with and liavingportions of its outer face permanentlyv overlapped-by 4the free 4.end terminal portion of the: strap extendhereto. n

. GEORGE W. MURPHY. 

